Monday, August 27, 2012

Today's term of the day...

Yes, exactly. And I am a naif who happens to be very, very bothered by that. It's not that there have not been lies in politics before, it's simply that they are so much more prevalent the past few years. It is though, as people such as O'Brien have observed, repeating something loud enough and often enough will make it true.

And over it all lies the pall of crude tribalism, in which concern for the nation as a whole evaporates in the face of dog-whistles and a determined "bipartisanship" -- which is merely one party holding firm and objecting to anything, no matter how "moderate," (really center-right, usually) the other wants to do, and the other unwilling or unable to counter or call them out on it.

It is ridiculous to expect honor from our politicians. I know this. But given that they hold so much power over policies which will determine so much of our lives, isn't it understandable to wistfully long for it?

"Sometimes you gotta create what you want to be a part of." Dr. Geri Weitzman

"An idea is not responsible for the people who believe it." Don Marquis

"The infinite possibilities each day holds should stagger the mind. The sheer number of experiences I could have is uncountable, breathtaking, and I'm sitting here refreshing my inbox." xkcd (webcomic by Randall Monroe)

"A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" Robert Browning.

"The opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation." Jonathan Larson.

"If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution." Emma Goldman.

“No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Samuel Beckett.

"I believe that the God who made (among other things) light, and space, and number, and time, and the spiral curve of Fibonacci numbers, must be acknowledged to understand more than I do about why there’s pain in the world." Teresa Neilsen Hayden

“No, it’s not fair. You’re in the wrong universe for fair.” John Scalzi.

"So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was." Molly Ivins